US1453606A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

' 7 1,453,606 A. H. SACKSTEDER WASHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVII'TIVVTOR. I acks mix/2f def and

) ATTORN- May 1, 1923. 1,453,606

A. H. SACKSTEDER I WASHING MACHINE Filed Feb.

ATTORNEYS.

a Shts-Sheet 5v ANDREW HQSACKSTEDEIRL; OF TIFFIN, OHIO.

WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed February 15, 1922. Serial No. 536,771.

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW I-"I. SACKS- TEDER, a: citizen of the United States, residing at Tifiin, in the county of vSeneca and State of Ohio, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements inxlVashing Machines, of which the following is a specifica- :tion.

within a plurality oftubs successively without removing the clothes from the container. Other objects of the inventionwill appear in the course of t e following description,

and the invention resides 'in certain .novel' I features which will be particularly pointed out in the claims following the description.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 isa View, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of the apparatus. shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the driving mechanism, the cover of the casing being removed;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the driving mechanism;

Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, a horizontal section and a vertical section taken longitudinally of another form of driving gearing.

In carrying out the invention, I employ a supporting frame 1 which includes legs 2 disposed at the corners of the supporting frame whereby to maintain the same in substantially horizontal position. The legs are connected by a-shelf or brace 3 upon which an electric motor 4 is secured, current being supplied to the motor from any convenient source. The frame 1 comprises a plurality of rings 5 having outstanding flanges 6 and adapted to receive tubs 7, the

tubs being equipped upon their sides with collars or flanges 8 resting upon the flanges 6 of the rings 5 so that they will be effectually supported. The several rings 5 of the frame are connected by a central brace or platform 9 which is constructed with a sleeve 10 forminga bearing for the main driving shaft 11, the lower end of said shaft being fitted in astep bearing 12 on the shelf 3, as clearly'shown in Fig. 2. The shaft of the motor 4 is equipped at its inner end with a beveled pinion 13 meshing with a beveled pinion 14 fixed upon the shaft 11 so that the said shaft will be rotated directly by the motor, and,-at a point above the plane of the tops of the tubs, a beveled gear 15 is secured upon the main driving shaft and is adapted to mesh with similar gears 16 carried by shafts 17 which extend into gear casings 18 disposed on prolongations of the radii of the driving shaft 11 and arranged to extend radially over the respective tubs. In the bottom of each gear casing, at the outer end thereof, is journaled a spindle 19 which has secured to its lower end a spider 20 from which a reticulated basket or clothes container 21 depends, the spider and the-basket being of less diameter than the tubs so that they may fit concentrically within a tub and rotate easily therein. A cover 22 is secured to the spindle 19 just below the gear casing 18 and is adapted to fit closely within the tub and be removed therefrom with the spindle and the basket as will presently more fully appear, Near the Outer'end of the gear casing, a partition 23 is provided therein and this partition has a car edge 24:

formed thereon and disposed concentrically with the spindle 19 and itsbearing. A beveled pinion 25 is feathered upo the spindle 19 and rests upon the bearin pinion 26 on the outer end of a shaft 27 which is disposed in axial alinement with the'shaft- 17and is journa-led in the lower portion of the partition 23, asshown in Fig. 4. A clutch coupling 28 is fitted upon the adjacent ends -of the shafts l7 and 27 and constitutes a connection between the same so that the shaft 27 may be" driven directly from'the shaft 17 at a high speed or may be driven indirectly therefrom at a lower speed. J ournaled in the inner end of the gear casing 18 vertically above the shaft 17 is a shaft 29, and journaledin the partition 23 vertically above the shaft 27' is a shaft 30 which is alined axially with the shaft 29, a

for

.said spindle, said pinion meshing with a 29 and 30 in the same niannergthat the clutch 28 connects the shafts 17 and 27.

Upon the shaft 17 within the gear casing is secured a gear 32 which meshes with a gear 33 secured upon the shaft 29 and upon the shaft 27 adjacent the partition 23 is secured a gear 34 meshing with a gear 35 secured upon the shaft 30. The clutch couplings 28 and 31 are provided exteriorly with annular grooves 36 which are engaged by forks 37 carried by a lever 38 provided with a handle member 39 extending through the side of the gear casing. The lever is so disposed thatthe'clutch couplings 28 and 31 will be moved in opposite directions simultaneously and when the said couplings are in vertical alinement the several shafts will be disconnected so 'that no motion will be imparted to the shaft 27. If the lower clutch coupling 28 be closed, the shafts 17 and 27 will be coupled and the shafts 28 and 30 uncoupled so that motion will then be imparted to the shaft 27 directly from the shaft 17 and this motion will be transmitted .through the gears 26 and 25 to the spindle shaft 27 and said shaft 27 will then rotate at a lower speed, the spindle 19 being, of

'' course, given a lower speed.

Secured to the shaft 19, above the gear 25, is a collar 40 having an external projection upon which is carried a roller 41. The roller 41 travels'upon the cam surface 24 of the partition 23 and, consequently, as the spindle 19 is rotated it is also moved vertically so that the basket 21 will be raised and lowered and the clothes within the basket thereby moved vertically through the water and cleansingagent within the tub as well as rotated therein and the entire surfaces ofthe clothes will be subjected to the washing action. Above the collar 40, a hub or collar 42is fitted upon the spindle 19 and this hub or collar constitutes a support for roller bearings 43 which may be of any well-known form. Pivoted to the lever 38 and slidably mounted in the app end of the partition 23 is a locking fork 4 j which will be projected outwardly when the clutch couplings are shifted so as to drive,. the shaft 27 at the higher speed. If, when the spindle 19 has been raised to its highest level by the 'travel of the roller 41 upo the cam edge 24 of the partition, the clu ch couplings be shifted, the fork 44 will engage 'under the projection 42 and will thereby holdthe same vat rest so that the spindle and the basket carried thereby will be supported in the. high position. If the motor be then started, the basket will be rotated at a high speed above the level of the water in the tub and the loose water upon the clothes will be thrown off by centrifugal action.

Upon the inner ends of the gear casings, at the upper and lower corners thereof, are lugs or projections 45 and 46 and through the said projections extend vertically disposed rods 47 and 48, the rods 48 being threadedand equipped at their upper ends with hand wheels 49. The lugs 45 and 46 engaged by the threaded rods are, of course, provided with internally threaded bores so that, when the threaded rods are rotated, the gear casings will be caused to move vertically. The extremities of the rods 47 and 48 are journaled in bearing blocks'50 which are loosely fitted about the main driving shaft 11 and held against dropping thereon by any convenient means, such as a stop collar 51. If the threaded rods 48 be rotated 'in the proper direction through manipulation of the respective hand wheels 49, the gear casings will be caused to move upwardly and the pinions 16 will be raised out of mesh with the driving pinion 15, as will be readily understood. The basket 21 will, of

course, be withdrawn from the tub in which it has operated and the cover 22 will be likewise removed from said tub. The gear casing, the basket and the parts. associated therewith may then be swung about the main driving shaft 11 as a center and the basket then lowered into an adjacen tub, it being noted, upon reference to the d awings: that, in-the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated, there are three tubs and two baskets and trains of gearing for operating the baskets. This arrangementv permits the several steps in the washing and drying'of the clothes to be performed in series so that the baskets or clothes containers may be successively operated within a tub and one within the bleaching tub, while the final drying tub is not in use. When the clothes have been sufficiently agitated within the tubs in which they are deposited in the illustrated arrangement, the clothes containcontainer is operating within the washing ers are lifted and then shifted pivotally so that the tub which is illustrated as-not in use will be occupied by the container holding the clothes which have been subjected to the action of the bleaching agent, and rotation of said ontainer will then drive off the, moisture from said clothes. The clothes may then be removedfrom the container for further drying through exposure to the sun or the action of other heat, and if the containers be then again raised and shifted pivotally, the empty container will be in position to receive a second quantity of clothing tn be washed. The operation may be repeated in a continuous cycle until all of the clothes on hand have been run through the apparatus and cleaned. y

In Figs. 5 and 6, I have illustrated a form of gearing. which may sometimes be preferred. In this arrangement, the main driving shaft is mounted in the same manner as the shaft 11 and may be driven from an electric motor or other prime mover. Above the supporting frame, the said shaft 55 is equipped with a beveled gear 56 meshing with a beveled gear 57 on the inner end of a shaft 58 which is journaled in the inner end of a gear casing 59, the said gear casing ex tending over the tub in'the same manner that the gear casings 18 extend over the same. The gear casings 59 are fitted to guide rods 60 and adjusting rods 61 which correspond in all respects to the rods 47 and 48 in the previously described arrangement Upon that end of the shaft 58 which is disposed within the gear casing, is slidably fitted a friction pinion 62 which is constrained to rotate with said shaft and said friction pinion bears against the face of a friction transmission pulley 63 which is carried by a shaft 64 journaled in the side wall of the gear case 59, a spring 65, coiled about the shaft 64 between the side of'the gear case and the outer face of the pulley 63, serving to hold'the pulley constantly in' engagement with the pinion 62 and a similar friction pinion 66. The friction pinion 66 is slidably mounted upon a shaft 67 which is alined axially with the shaft 58 andjs journaled in the partition 68 near the outer end of the gear casing. The pinions 62 and 66 are constructed with hubs having annular grooves 69 therein and these grooves are engaged by forks 70 at the ends of a link 71, a. handle 72 projecting laterally from the said link through a slot 73 in the side of the gear casing. It will be readily understood that the motion of the pinion 62 is transmitted to the pinion 66 through the friction disc or pulley 63 and the relative speeds 0 the pinions is regulated by shifting them radially upon the disc or pulley 63. This shiftingor adjustment of the pinions is accomplished by moving the link 71 longitudinally of the gear casing in an obviouwpner.' V

v The outer end of the shaft 67 is equipped with a beveledpinion .7 4 meshing with a beveled gear 75 which 1 is feathered upon the spindle 76 corresponding to the spindle 19 in all respects. The outer edge of thef'gea'r casing is given a cam formation, as shown at 7 7,

and upon the spindle 76, near the upper end thereof, is secured a collar 78 carrying a roller 79 corresponding in all respects to the collar 40, and roller 41, A collar 80 having; a shoulder or projection 81 is fitted upon the spindle-above the collar 78 and, above the said collar 80, roller bearings 82 are'provided upon the spindle. The outer end of the gear case, carries a tubular cover 83 which encloses: the upper portion ofthe spindle 7 6, the gears 74 and 75, and the several members 78, 79,80, 81 and 82, as clearly shown in Fig. '6. This tubular cover or housing is equipped with a lid 84 having openings 85 therein through which pass suspending grippers 86 which are adapted to engage under the projection 81 of the collar 80, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, and thereby support the spindle and the basket carried thereby in the elevated position. The .sus-" .structed with a head 88 and a hub 89,;the

hub 89 being adapted to bear upon the upper extremities of the grippers 86 so that if the screw be adjusted downwardly through the lid 84, the pressurethereby exerted upon the upper ends of the grippers will cause them to swing about their respective pivots and move their lower ends outwardly from under theprojection 81 and permit the spindle and the basket or clothes container to descend. It will be readily noted t at the portions-of the grippers below their pivots are much greater than the portions above the pivots so that if the screw be adjusted upwardly, the weight of the grippers will cause them to swing into-the position shown in Fig. 6 and engage under and support the collar 80. The washing machine equipped with. this form of gearing is operated in the same manner as the machine previously described to effect cleaning of the clothes, and

it will be readily noted that the apparatus cleaned and dried. It will, of course, be

understood that gas burners or other heaters may be installed under the tubs to maintain the temperature of the liquid therein.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a washmg machine, the combination of a tub, a vertically disposed driving shaft arranged adjacent the tub, means for rotating said shaft, a gear casing disposed overthe tub, a spindle mounted in and depending from said gear casing, a clothes container carried by said spindle within the tub, gearing Within-the gear casing operatively connecting the driving shaft with said spindle, and means supported on the driving shaft for raising and lowering the gear casing whereby to remove the spindle and the clothes container from the tub or dispose the spindle and clothes container within the tub.

2 In a Washing machine, the combination of a vertically disposed driving shaft, a series of tubs disposed concentrically about said shaft, means for rotating said shaft, supporting blocks pivotally mounted upon said shaft, gear casings disposed over the respective tubs and arranged radially with respect to the driving shaft, clothes containers carried by the gear casings and adapted to be housed within the respective tubs, gearing within the gear casings operatively connecting said clothes containers with the driving shaft, projections on the innerends of the gear casings, and guiding and adjusting rods extending vertically through said projections and journaled in the supporting blocks pivotally-mounted on the driving shaft.

3. In a washing machine, the combination of a tub, a container adapted to be housed within the tub, a vertically disposed spindle carrying said container, means for rotating the spindle, a cam concentric with the spindle, a member on the spindle riding on the cam, and means adjacent the high part of the cam to support the spindle in inoperative relation to the cam. I In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ANDREW M. SACKSTEDER. [L. s.]

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